The Kids Are Online

How Teenagers Navigate Digital Communication

Story by Drew Wooley

Born into the world of smartphones and social media, today’s teenagers spend more time communicating online than any of their predecessors. While that familiarity with the online world builds skills with digital platforms, it also affects how they experience adolescence.

“We see that a lot of their development is shaped through their interactions with technology,” says Kaitlyn Burnell, director of research for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Winston Center for Technology and the Developing Mind. “It’s not just reflecting those aspects of development but also fundamentally changing how they’re going through those experiences.”

Experts say the key to making sure those changes are positive is understanding how teens are communicating online and giving them the knowledge to shape their own experiences.

Social Media

Social media is often the most public form of online communication for young people and an easy way to communicate on a large scale. While social status and approval from peers have always been important for adolescents, Burnell says that influence is amplified by social media’s ability to track those reactions in real time.

“Adolescents place a lot of importance on the number of likes and the quality of the comments they’re getting,” she says. “There’s no real counterpart of that in the past. The best thing I can come up with is maybe the number of yearbook signatures or something old school like that. But it’s very, very different.”

That isn’t always a bad thing. While image-heavy platforms like Instagram can lead some to struggle with body image, recent studies show a well-curated social media feed can inspire young people more than discourage them. Many teens understand how their feeds work.

“To adolescents’ credit, they’re pretty sophisticated in tailoring their algorithms,” says Michaeline Jensen, University of North Carolina at Greensboro associate professor. “If they’re not liking what they’re getting, they game it—unfollow some stuff or press the thumbs down to try and steer toward different content. They’re pretty sophisticated with trying to make their online spaces a place that’s affirming and positive for them.”

Direct Messaging

Direct messaging is reserved for more personal interactions. Private messages are the go-to way to express love, get emotional support or just check in with a parent.

“It’s how they talk to people who really matter to them,” Jensen says. “Things like day-to-day logistical stuff can make parenting easier, so you can check in and get work done. But it does seem like when teens have those more emotionally supportive conversations over text, those seem to be perceived positively by the kids.”

Written chats proved to be more popular than video chats even during periods of separation like the coronavirus pandemic. While video calls can be an authentic way to communicate with faraway family, the interface can prove distracting when talking to other teens.

“Hypothetically, video communication should be more enriching because it’s as close to a face-to-face conversation as you can get,” Burnell says. “However, the problem that we’ve identified is that the default for most software is that you see yourself and that isn’t always great. If you’re occupied with how you look, then that’s going to impede those social benefits.”

Social Gaming

Teens often spend social time gaming online, whether with local friends or players across the world. While there are concerns about this hurting offline relationships, Sophie Janicke-Bowles, an associate professor at California’s Chapman University, found the opposite can be true.

“When it comes to kids hanging out with friends, social gaming is taking that over,” she says. “And it can actually increase both the online and offline connection when hanging out with friends. So, it can be a contributor to more social interaction rather than less.”

Gaming spaces can still expose players to coarse language or bullying. An awareness of how those platforms are used and who they are exposing adolescents to is crucial for creating a positive experience.

Rural Connections

Building digital literacy can be challenging in rural areas, where the digital divide is closing but schools may not have the resources to teach how to make the most of digital communication.

“It makes sense that if families are more spread out from each other you can’t just go next door and hang out with your friend,” Jensen says. “There might be greater reliance on digital technologies in order to facilitate those social connections, and we don’t yet know how kids will adjust to that.”

But the upside for rural kids can also be much greater. Digital communication can help them stay in touch with local friends who do not live miles away or even find communities around their personal interests that do not exist nearby. The key is staying aware of how they use those tools, even as they are rapidly changing.

“We know that for everyone, these forms of digital communication are just embedded within our daily lives,” Burnell says. “Everyone relies on digital forms of communication for social support. So, it’s important to remember it’s not just good or bad. It depends on the content, it depends on the person, and it depends on what they’re doing.”